


I Want the Real Thing

by reefsntsumu



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Brief homophobia, Cuddling, Fake Dating, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Family Drama, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Gen, Kissing, Light Angst, Road Trips, Rude family members, Sharing a Bed, Weddings, mentions of weight
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-21
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:35:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27662128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reefsntsumu/pseuds/reefsntsumu
Summary: “I need you to pretend to be my boyfriend,”....“I’m gonna be honest with you, you’ve said a whole lotta stupid shit before, but this takes the fucking cake,”
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, Kuroo Tetsurou/Reader, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Miya Atsumu/Sakusa Kiyoomi
Comments: 42
Kudos: 117





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> hi everyone! this is my first multi-chapter fic and i’m really excited! I’ve already got the second chapter written and will post later tonight once I edit it. The first two chapters are a little short, but it’s sort of establishing the dynamic and the plot, and then everything will start getting juicy from there. And yes i’m a whore for Iwaoi so i put them in this, too lol. Enjoy :)

“I need your help,” You called out, as you threw open Kuroo’s apartment door.

“Well hello to you, too,” Kuroo turned himself around the couch to look at you with a smirk.

“I’m serious, I need-”

“Hello serious, I’m-”

“You finish that sentence, I’m gonna slap you,” You glared at him from the kitchen, as you grabbed two water bottles from the fridge.

Kuroo laughed softly before looking back at you. You walked towards the couch handing him a bottle and plopped yourself next to him.

“Fine, what’s up,” he finally asked, taking a sip from his water.

“I need you to pretend to be my boyfriend,”

Kuroo choked on his water at your words, starting to cough violently. You quickly started patting him on the back, but he pushed your arm aside to glance up at you, staying quiet for a few seconds before replying.

“I’m gonna be honest with you, you’ve said a whole lotta stupid shit before, but this takes the fucking cake,”

You rolled your eyes at him and said, “I know it sounds dumb, but-”

“Damn right it does,” Kuroo murmured to himself, but you chose to ignore it.

“But, I really can’t do this without you. I’m going to my cousin’s wedding and I can’t show up alone. I told my family I was dating someone and we both know that’s a fucking lie. Please Kuroo, it’ll only be for a few days,”

If you were being honest, it wasn’t just that you couldn’t show up alone, if you could you would, but rather you wanted to prove to your aunts that you weren’t the family disappointment they believed you to be. (You really were nowhere near being the family disappointment. You had your own apartment, a successful career that you enjoyed, and also paid well, along with good friends that cared for you. You were happy. But to your superficial aunts, being lonely equated to being unsuccessful. And despite hating that mindset, the petty side of you wanted to prove them wrong). So here you were, begging Kuroo to be your boyfriend, and usually, it’d be a blow to your ego. Asking Kuroo for help? No thanks. But you didn’t know anyone else who would be willing to help.

“You can’t ask anyone else?” Kuroo asked eyebrows furrowed as he considered your words again.

“You’re the only one I trust,” you said, nervously chewing your lips. But Kuroo didn’t believe you and looked at you with a skeptical look.

“And?”

You rolled your eyes before leaning your head on the back of the couch.

“Fine, ugh, Oikawa was too busy and he also said he was too in love with Iwaizumi to pretend to be in love with me,”

“And you think I can do that?” Kuroo’s raised an eyebrow with a smirk. 

You gasped dramatically, slapping his arm, “I’m a fucking catch, Kuroo. It shouldn’t be too hard to at least pretend you’re interested in me,” Kuroo hummed in response, looking focused as if weighing his options.

“When’s the wedding?”

Your eyes lit up at his question, a sliver of hope growing within you. 

“Next month, it’s gonna be in Osaka,”

Kuroo looked at you for a few seconds, fingers fidgeting in his lap.

“Okay,”

“Okay, as in you’ll come?” you leaned forward, unconsciously grabbing his hands. 

“Okay, as in you owe me big time,” he said, rolling his eyes, but with a playful smirk.

You leaped into his chest, snaking your arms around his back squealing.

“Yes, yes, of course. Whatever you want. Oh gosh, thank you so much!” you hugged him tighter, and felt his strong arms return the gesture. 

He gently pulled you away before asking, “So, when do we start?”

“When do we start what?” you questioned, eyebrow quirked up.

“Fake dating,” Kuroo responded as if it was the most obvious thing. 

You just shrugged back. “I thought we’d just wing it the weekend of the wedding,”

“You’re kidding,” he looked at you incredulously.

“No, I mean we know each other really well, I don’t think much would change except we’d be more affectionate,”

“Yeah, but we still need to establish our dynamic as a couple,”

“Establish our dynamic? You sound ridiculous,”

“No, I mean we need to get into the groove of dating, I know how much you want to prove your family wrong. And if you really want this to work, you can’t just ‘wing it’ and hope for the best,”

“Christ, when’d you become an expert in fake dating?” you sighed, knowing that Kuroo wasn't actually wrong. 

“That’s beside the point. So?”

“Okay, okay, we can go on a few dates before the actual wedding, yeah?” you turned your head to him. 

“Yeah, okay,” Kuroo nodded.

“Thank you again, really I appreciate it,” you whispered

“Anytime,”

~~

“I don’t remember giving you a key,” Kuroo asked about ten minutes later when you turned on the T.V.

You snorted at his comment before replying, “Stole Kenma’s and made my own copy,”

Kuroo rolled his eyes, slugging an arm around your shoulders and pulling you into his side.

“Creep,”

You snuggled closer into Kuroo’s arm.

“Asshole,” 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You really think this is a good idea?” Oikawa asked, with a growing smirk.
> 
> “No, absolutely not. This is possibly the worst idea I’ve ever had,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay everyone, here’s part 2! i don’t know when i’ll get part 3 written, but i’ll do my best to get it done as quickly as possible, until then i hope you enjoy part 2!

“You really think this is a good idea?” Kenma murmured, eyes glued to his video game. 

In the span of time that had passed since you left Kuroo’s apartment asking him about the wedding to when he drove over to Kenma’s, which had been approximately two hours, Kuroo had started spiraling, overthinking the situation he had wrapped himself into.

“No, I regret it,” he groaned, head leaned back against the couch, his palms pressed into his eyes.

“Then why’d you agree?”

“Because I’m stupid, and I can never say no to Y/N,” Kuroo groaned.

He should have been more realistic, more adamant about not going, but he knows that he would have ended up helping you anyways. There was something about your charm that made it difficult for people to say no to you. The list of people who could say no to you was short. This included Oikawa, of course, because he was just as stubborn, and Kuroo supposed that list included Iwaizumi by extension because of how long he had put up with Oikawa’s bullshit.

It’s not that Kuroo didn’t want to help, far from it actually. It’s that Kuroo was unsure as to how exactly he was supposed to be your boyfriend. He’s only been in a number of relationships, most of them ending for no real reason except that the spark had simply disappeared. Kuroo believed it must have been his fault that he hasn’t had a relationship last for more than a handful of months, and this mindset was now consuming him because he doesn’t want to be a bad boyfriend to you, real or not. 

He doesn’t want to disappoint you.

“This is gonna blow up in your face,” Kenma stated bluntly.

“Don’t you think I already know that,” Kuroo groaned into a pillow . 

“I’m sure you do, I just wanted to remind you,” a small smirk found its way on to Kenma’s face. 

“Thanks, Kenma,” Kuroo’s voice muffled by the pillow.

“Mhm,”

~~

“You really think this is a good idea?” Oikawa asked, with a growing smirk.

“No, absolutely not. This is possibly the worst idea I’ve ever had,” you said dramatically, leaning back against the loveseat in Oikawa’s apartment. 

“Then why’d you ask him?”

“Because I’m fucking desperate,” you confessed with a groan.

“What’s new?” Iwaizumi’s voice called out from the kitchen. 

You whipped your head towards him and snapped back, “Shut the hell up Iwaizumi, everyone knows who’s attention your desperate for,”

“Shut the fuck up, Y/N,” Iwaizumi yelled back, a slight waver to his voice.

“Oh ho? What’s this now, Iwa-chan, you’ve got a crush?” Oikawa asked amused, though there was a trace of jealousy in his words. 

Iwaizumi pretended to not hear and grabbed the keys from the counter, “I gotta go, see y’all around,” he said before sprinting out the door.

“What a fucking idiot. He realizes he lives here, too right?” Oikawa turned back to you.

“Christ, you’re both pathetic. I don’t see why you don’t just confess,” you rolled your eyes at Tooru.

“He’ll reject me,” Oikawa said firmly.

“Ha! And Daichi and Atsumu don’t have nice thighs,” you snorted.

“I’m not lying Y/N! I can’t risk our friendship,” 

“You’re both just hurting yourselves by burying your feelings and I hate seeing you both suffer,”

“Listen, if it’s meant to be it’ll happen, don’t worry too much about us, okay? Anyways, let’s focus on your dilemma,” Oikawa said reassuringly. 

“I mean, it’s not a big deal really. It’s just basically a weekend-long sleepover with Kuroo except this time with more hugging and hand-holding,”

Oikawa looked at you with disbelief before speaking, “What about the dates you’re gonna go on this month?”

“Yes but-”

“And the obsessive and nosy family members who’ll keep asking about you two? And the single bed at the hotel, and the long road trip to Osaka, and the-”

“Okay, okay, I get it, it won’t be as easy as I thought, but it’s only awkward if we make it awkward, so I won’t make it awkward,” you tried convincing yourself.

“Kuroo might, you know how suggestive his one-liners can be,”

A pause. 

“Ah fuck, what was I thinking?” you groaned for the umpteenth time.

“You weren’t,” Oikawa chirped back, turning on the T.V. 

“Fuck off, Oikawa. If you had agreed to come with me, I wouldn’t be stressing,”

“Y/N-chan, if I came as your date, Iwa-chan would think I was interested in you,”

“Iwa-chan wouldn’t assume anything, he’d think you were being a good friend,” you retorted.

“Well, we already had plans the weekend of the wedding,” Oikawa shrugged.

“Yeah, yeah, I know. Hopefully, by then you both get your shit together,” you said wistfully.

“And hopefully by the end of the wedding, you and Kuroo will still be friends,”

“Not helpful, asshole,” you threw a pillow at him, which Oikawa easily avoided.

“Not here to be helpful,” he smirked.

“I hate you,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> feedback always appreciated!
> 
> check me out on tumblr @reefsntsumu


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Don’t call me that,” 
> 
> “Call you what? Honey? Hm, okay then. What about… sweetheart? Darling? Princess? Kit- “
> 
> “Keep talking and I’m gonna steal your car and leave you here,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alrighty folks, the fake dating has begun! i’m actually really happy that i got this posted so soon and I’m proud of how this turned out, as well. I’m gonna be honest though, I had part 3 planned a certain way, and it took a whole other turn, but I’m not disappointed lol. I hope y’all enjoy this!

About a week had passed since you asked Kuroo to be your fake boyfriend, and since then you’ve only seen him once for a few hours when you stopped by Kenma’s. With both of your busy schedules, it was hard to find days off that aligned. But the weekend had finally rolled around and you both had agreed to go out tonight.

So here you were, palms sweaty and fingers fidgety as you paced across your living room anxiously. You stilled however when you heard someone knock on your door.

You walked over to it, nervously placing your hand on the doorknob. You took a deep breath, lifted your head confidently, and gave yourself a mental pep-talk because you’re Y/N motherfucking L/N and a date with Kuroo, which isn’t even a real date, shouldn’t have you so on edge.

_Deep breaths, you’ve got this._

You swung open the door, showing off a beautiful smile to Kuroo. Your smile faltered for a second, though, when you took in the sight in front of you. 

There stood Kuroo clad in a black turtleneck, black jeans that hugged him just right and a long tan coat with brown boots. He looked… hot.

He looked really good. Like breathtakingly amazing. And you guessed you had been staring for too long because Kuroo coughed awkwardly and you realized you were blocking his way in. 

You offered an embarrassing smile and stepped to the side to let him in.

“Sorry, you just look really good,” you mumbled.

Kuroo, the smug bastard, pretended not to hear and asked with a knowing smirk, “Hm, what was that? I didn’t hear,”

You rolled your eyes and closed the door, walking towards the counter to grab your things. “Fuck off, you know what I said,”

“Aw, Y/N, that’s no way to treat your _boyfriend_ ,”

“Keep this shit up and I’ll just have to go to the wedding myself,” you threatened.

Kuroo gasped dramatically. “You wouldn’t,”

“If it means not having to put up with your insufferable ass, I would,”

“Don’t forget, you’re the one who asked _me_ for help,”

“I didn’t forget, asshole. I’m just trying to think if I’m really that desperate,”

“Hm, you make it sound like you really don’t want me to be there,” Kuroo taunted.

You knew what he was insinuating and for the second time since you asked him for help, you had to swallow your pride.

You walked up to him, only a few inches away from and looked up at him, holding his gaze.

“I appreciate what you’re doing for me, really. I was just teasing before. I’m glad it’s you who’s coming with me,” you noticed Kuroo’s cheeks redden slightly, and just for a second there you thought that if putting aside your ego would make Kuroo become flustered like this, you’d do it more often because he looked cute like that.

Wait.

Oh no.

Cute? 

A slight panic was starting to build inside you, so you pushed aside the thought and plastered a smirk onto your face.

“You alright, _Tetsurou_?” you teased, leaning in closer to him. You couldn’t help but grin even more when you saw Kuroo visibly gulp at the use of his first name.

“Just fine,” he said warily, before turning around sharply and walking into your kitchen to drink some water. You stifled a laugh before following him. 

“So, what do you have planned for our ‘date’?” you asked leaning against the counter.

“Hm, I was thinking dinner, park, and then a movie at my place or yours, whichever you want,”

“Probably your place. I’ve got work early tomorrow, and your complex is closer,”

“You plan on staying over?”

“If that’s okay with you,” you said tilting your head slightly.

“Yeah, more than okay,” Kuroo said breathily. 

You smiled brightly at him. “Okay then, we should probably head out now if we want to get to dinner on time,” you gestured towards the door. 

Kuroo nodded in agreement before walking towards the door. You grabbed your keys, wallet, and extra clothes, and followed Kuroo out the door, double-checking that everything was turned off and unplugged before locking your apartment.

~~

The drive to the restaurant was quiet, save the sound of the music playing quietly from Kuroo’s car radio.

Quiet, but not awkward. 

You hummed to the song playing on the radio, turning your head to look at Kuroo who was staring straight ahead at the road. He was lip-syncing the words to the song and thrumming his fingers on the steering wheel. You couldn’t help but smile at the sight. It was quite endearing, seeing him relaxed and content. You turned your head to look through the window, the city lights of Tokyo flashing by. The sun had set not too long ago, faint hues of orange fading into the darkness of the night and you sighed deeply at the warmth you felt inside you. The domesticity of the situation made you feel comfortable and you leaned back further into the seat.

It was only the first date and you already wanted more of whatever this was.

And the thought terrified you.

~~

The two of you had settled into a booth in the corner of the restaurant and ordered food when the waiter showed up. The restaurant was relatively busy, but you both got served fairly quickly. The meal was nice and you and Kuroo maintained small talk while you ate. Once you both finished, however, you picked back up on the teases and retorts. At one point, Kuroo had cackled loudly, catching the attention of a few customers from neighboring tables, but this just caused you to start laughing loudly, too, and before you knew it, both of you had doubled down clutching your stomachs, tears forming at the corner of your eyes.

When you both had calmed down, or at least as calm as you could get, the waiter had stopped by with the bill. Kuroo had been insistent on paying, but you fought him for it until he had shot you with a glare and you backed down.

Well, who were you to deny a free meal?

With that, you and Kuroo got into the car and drove to the park which wasn’t too far from the restaurant.

The park wasn’t too busy, given that it was dark out, but there were a few couples strolling along the sidewalks hand-in-hand. You felt Kuroo walk up and stand next to you as you both observed the park. You felt something brush lightly against the back of your hand and you looked down to see Kuroo’s hand ghosting against yours. You glanced up at him to see that he was a little too focused on the tree to his left. You held back a snicker because you realized he was _nervous._

Pushing aside the same nervousness that he was probably feeling, you took Kuroo’s hand into yours and intertwined your fingers together.

Kuroo seemed startled at first, looking down at you with a blush that was illuminated by the street lamps, but you gave him a reassuring smile and started pulling him alongside you as you started to walk down the pavement.

Kuroo’s hands were warm and calloused, so large that they encapsulated yours, but they felt nice and comfortable and familiar, despite never having held his hands so intimately like this before.

And then the same thought from earlier that evening crept its way into your mind.

You wanted _more_. 

And oh, did that scare you. Because how exactly were you supposed to do this whole fake relationship thing if you couldn’t even get through the first fake date without a clear mind? How were you going to manage knowing that every romantic action between you and Kuroo was all fake? 

_Get a grip, Y/N. You’re gonna be fine._

You inhaled deeply, trying to push away the blaring red lights in your head telling you that this was going to end badly. You pushed away any and all doubts because right now you were having _fun._ Right now, you were holding hands with Kuroo and that was more than enough to keep you from spiraling into a panic.

“You okay?” you heard Kuroo ask. You looked up at him and smiled.

“Yeah, of course. Just thinking,”

“About?”

“The wedding, work, when Iwaizumi and Oikawa are gonna get together. You know, the usual,” you snickered.

“Yes, I do know. It’s pathetic how oblivious they are,”

“Yes! Thank you, ugh,” you cried. “That’s what I’ve been telling them, and they don’t believe me. It’s ridiculous, really. If they keep pining over each other I’m going to lock them in a closet and force them to confess,”

“What’s stopping you from doing it now,”

“I’d rather they figure it out themselves. They’re my best friends, yes, but their relationship is something they need to figure out themselves,”

Kuroo hummed in agreement as he looked up at the sky. You took this time to admire him some more because he really was _beautiful_ , the glow of the moonlight and lamps only accentuating his features more.

Sharp jawline, hazel eyes, muscular build. Even his untamed bedhead was something you could appreciate. 

But then you noticed a smirk growing on his face when he realized you were staring. It was then that you remembered, sexy, yes, but annoying as fuck.

“You know, this is the second time tonight I’ve caught you staring at me,” Kuroo teased and then squawked when you childishly kicked him in the shin, rolling your eyes.

You started to walk off, but Kuroo quickly caught up to you. 

“That hurt, idiot,” he mumbled.

“Then don’t embarrass me, asshole,”

“Aw, honey, there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. I know I’m handsome,”

“Don’t call me that,” you snapped, though you could feel your cheeks warming at the pet name. You hoped it was dark enough that Kuroo wouldn’t notice, but the glowing streetlights may have given you away.

“Call you what? Honey? Hm, okay then. What about… sweetheart? Darling? Princess? Kit- “

“Keep talking and I’m gonna steal your car and leave you here,” you threatened before quickly walking off because _holy shit._

_Holy shit._

_Holy shit._

Kuroo should not, cannot, have this effect on you. You slapped yourself mentally and gulped audibly, trying to find your bearings before Kuroo realizes you were just about to combust because he what? Called you a few pet names? Yeah, no thanks. The thought alone of giving Kuroo the satisfaction that he made you flustered was enough to straighten yourself up. You inhaled deeply and turned to Kuroo. You hooked your arm around his and started walking.

“Let’s go home, yeah?” you said, pretending as if the previous conversation had not happened. And it seemed Kuroo had caught on because he didn’t bring it up either.

“Yeah, sounds good,”

~~

Since that first date, you and Kuroo had gone on two more, each one ending up with you crashing on his bed and Kuroo sleeping on the couch.

But it seemed that after each date, you and Kuroo came closer to crossing the line of fake dating to actually being in a romantic relationship. Neither of you brought it up.

You started to fear the aftermath of the wedding, but despite that, you loved every moment you spent with Kuroo, even if it was all fake.

The nights you spent at Kuroo’s, you would wonder if he felt the same way you did. 

On the other side of the wall, Kuroo would wonder the same thing. Did you feel the tension, the spark, the chemistry that he felt? (yes, you did.) He didn’t know and it was killing him. He wasn’t ready to end whatever there was between you two, but he didn’t dare dwell on that, instead cherishing the few weeks he had with you before the intimacy would end. 

He’ll take what he can get.

So here you both were, on your last date before you had to leave for the wedding in a few days.

It was a bittersweet feeling, knowing that after you both returned from Osaka these dates would be no more, so you decided to treasure this final date.

“Our last date and you decide to take me out for street food?” you asked with a raised eyebrow, eyeing the food truck in front of you.

“Our last date and I decided to take you out to a place that makes the best food. Don’t underestimate street food Y/N” he said with a proud smile.

“Mmkay, whatever you say,”

“Trust me, honey, you’ll love it,”

~~~

He was right. You loved it. 

As much as you hated proving Kuroo right, the food was damn good. 

Kuroo simply stared at you with wide eyes as you practically inhaled the meal.

“You always manage to surprise me more and more, Y/N,” he said amusedly. 

“Yeah, well I-” you were cut off by your phone buzzing on the bench, with Oikawa’s face glowing on the screen. You looked at your phone confusedly because Oikawa rarely called you on his and Iwaizumi’s weekly movie nights.

“Sorry, one second,” you told Kuroo as you stood up and walked a few feet away from him.

“Hey what’s up,” you said when you answered.

 _“Where are you?”_ Oikawa said sternly.

“I’m out with Kuroo right now. Is everything okay?” you asked nervously.

 _“No, I’m not. I- never mind, sorry I called. Enjoy your date,”_ Oikawa said quickly. But before he hung up you spoke back.

“Wait, wait. Tooru, what’s going on?”

There was silence on the other side of the line, except the sound of Tooru’s heavy breathing.

 _“Iwa-chan and I got in a fight,”_ he said quietly into the phone. Immediately your mind started panicking because when Iwaizumi and Oikawa fight, it gets very messy.

“Where is he?”

_“I don’t- I don’t know. He just stormed out of the apartment and he hasn’t been answering his phone and I’m so worried and I just need to know he’s okay and he probably hates me and-”_

“Tooru. Shut up. Iwaizumi could never hate you, okay? I don’t even think he’s capable of doing that. He probably just needed some space. Don’t worry about him, he can take care of himself. Okay?”

 _“Yeah, okay,”_

You heard a sniffle on the other end of the line, and you realized Oikawa must have been crying. Your heart clenched. God, you hated when Oikawa cried. It was heart-breaking and not because he was an ugly crier (because he was), but because when Oikawa did cry it was rare and only for a good reason. Simply knowing that Oikawa was home alone probably overthinking everything and blaming himself made your stomach turn.

“Would you like me to come over? Kuroo and I can stop by with milk bread.” You offered. 

_“No, I don’t want to ruin-”_

“You won’t ruin anything,” You assured him, but Oikawa didn’t believe you.

_“Y/N-chan, if you come over, I’m gonna hit you,”_

“No, you wouldn’t. You love me too much. I’m coming over. Bye, Tooru, I’ll see you soon,”

 _“Wait-”_ you ended the call and walked back over to Kuroo.

“So um, change of plans,” you said with a nervous laugh. Kuroo raised his eyebrows curiously.

“Oikawa is um- Well he got in a fight with Iwaizumi and I’m really worried about him right now. I told him we’d come over because he’s by himself right now and I’m so sorry about this, you don’t have to-”

“Hey, hey, Oikawa’s my friend, too okay? You don’t have to apologize, he probably shouldn’t be alone right now,” Kuroo said reassuringly.

“Thank you, thank you. I’m sorry,” you mumbled as you hugged Kuroo tightly.

“Stop saying sorry idiot,” he laughed, pulling away from your embrace.

“I’m assuming we’re getting him milk bread,” Kuroo added.

“Yeah, fucking brat,” you murmured and Kuroo just cackled.

~~

You knocked on the door of Oikawa and Iwaizumi’s apartment. Oikawa immediately swung open the door, hair disheveled and eyes red and puffy. 

You pushed past Oikawa, Kuroo following suit.

“You look like shit,” you said loudly, placing the milk bread on his counter.

“Thanks,” he murmured back, throwing himself onto the couch.

Kuroo made himself comfortable on the loveseat and you sat on the floor, back against the couch. You turned your head back to look at Tooru better.

“You _really_ look like shit,” 

“I couldn’t care less. I just want Iwa-chan,” Oikawa mumbled into the pillow.

“What was the fight about?” you asked. Oikawa inhaled sharply.

“It was stupid at first. We were just teasing each other but then I brought up aliens and then… and then everything went to shit,” 

Wait a damn minute.

Aliens?

You were about to speak when Kuroo beat you to it.

“Hold the fuck up. You and Iwaizumi fought because of _aliens_?” Kuroo asked incredulously.

“No, you idiot, it _started_ because of aliens,”

“I’m gonna need you to clarify, Oikawa, because none of this shit is making sense,” Kuroo said, clearly confused with the whole ordeal.

Oikawa just rolled his eyes. “I don’t expect this to make sense to you, Tetsu-chan. Y/N-chan understands, though, right?”

You shook your head slowly. “No, Tooru. I’m just as confused as Kuroo,”

Tooru sat himself up before he started talking, “Hmph, okay well I’m not gonna explain the whole thing but it basically ended with Iwaizumi saying that I was too much for him handle and me saying that he should just move out if I’m _too much,_ ” Oikawa said with a shaky breath, tears pricking at the corner of his eyes. 

Oh. That makes more sense.

You immediately stood up and wrapped your arms around Tooru as he cried into your shoulder.

Oikawa was a prideful man and deeply valued how others saw him. But Iwaizumi’s opinion was the most important to Oikawa. And to know that Iwa thought of him as _too much_ was probably heart-breaking. Though you knew deep down Iwaizumi probably said that in the heat of the moment and didn’t mean it. 

“It’s gonna be okay, Tooru,” you murmured into his ridiculously soft hair. “You and Iwaizumi will be okay. Don’t worry too much,” 

“I know. ‘m sorry I ruined your date,” he whispered.

You pulled away and slapped his arm. “You didn’t ruin anything okay?” 

Kuroo nodded in agreement, offering a reassuring smile. 

Oikawa ran his hands over his face, sighing deeply. “Okay, I’m gonna go to bed, pining and crying is exhausting. Thank you both for coming over,”

He walked over to his bedroom door, before waving goodbye, “G’night Y/N-chan. Love you. Night Tetsu-chan, don’t do anything gross with Y/N in my living room,”

“Is the kitchen alright, then?” Kuroo called out, laughing right after. You, on the other hand, covered your face embarrassingly. 

“Fuck you!” Oikawa yelled back, though you could hear him snickering.

A few seconds passed before you breathed in loudly, brushing your hair out of your face.

“They’re really stupid,” you heard Kuroo say from the loveseat.

“Tell me about it. I’m certain their pining has made me lose ten years of my life,” Kuroo just snorted at your words.

You heard him stand up and felt the couch dip next to you. You looked over at him and saw his arms open, one draped across the back of the couch, like an invitation, which you gladly accepted. You leaned into his arms and buried your head into his chest, feeling the beating of his heart through his sweater. The rhythmic sound was entrancing, almost lulling you to sleep before you felt a hand run through your hair. 

And _oh_ , you were about to pass away right then and there because _this_ was no longer fake. It was real.

You knew it. Kuroo knew it. But neither of you brought it up, a mistake on both your ends. 

You could no longer fall asleep with Kuroo running his hands through your hair, especially not with your body pressed against his. But you guessed at some point you had fallen asleep because you were being shaken awake by Kuroo.

“Hey, sleepyhead, I think Iwaizumi’s home,” he whispered. You lifted your head to see the front door closing and Iwaizumi entering. He stilled when he noticed your presence and then made a beeline to the kitchen.

You reluctantly pulled yourself away from Kuroo’s embrace and followed Iwaizumi.

You walked up to him and punched him in the arm. Iwaizumi doubled over in pain, but you just rolled your eyes and brought him into a hug.

“You fucking idiot, I didn’t even hit you that hard, but you deserved it. Fix this shit,” you said seriously. Iwaizumi gently pushed away from your hold, staring at you with watery eyes and it was then that you noticed that he looked just as awful as Tooru had.

“Christ, Hajime. You look like shit,”

“Don’t care. Where’s Oikawa?” he asked, getting straight to the point.

“Sleeping. I didn’t wanna leave him ‘till you came back,” you explained.

“Sorry, I was at Makki’s,” he said, scratching the back of his neck.

“I figured,” you shrugged. You both stood there in silence for a few seconds before Iwaizumi spoke up again.

“I’ll apologize to Oikawa in the morning, I don’t wanna wake him,”

“Yeah, I know you will,” you said, patting him on the back.

You both walked out of the kitchen, Kuroo standing at the front door with both your coats draped over his arm. He was scrolling through his phone but looked up when he noticed you and Iwaizumi.

“We’ll be heading out, then. Don’t do anything stupid,” you warned him, and Iwaizumi just smiled embarrassingly.

“Yeah only you and Oikawa would manage to have a full-blown fight because of aliens,” Kuroo teased Hajime.

“Mhm fuck you, Kuroo,” Iwaizumi said with no heat behind his words as he opened the door for you and Kuroo. Kuroo walked down to the car and before you could follow, Iwaizumi grabbed your arm.

“Y/N, what the hell are you doing?” he asked sharply.

You narrowed your eyes at him. “What are you talking about?”

“This thing that’s going on between you and Kuroo?” 

“There’s nothing going on, it’s all… it’s all fake,” you said not-so-convincingly. 

“Then keep it that way, before you hurt him and yourself,” Iwaizumi said earnestly.

“I will. I am,”

“Okay. Goodnight, Y/N. Drive safe,”

“Night, Hajime,” you waved goodbye and walked to Kuroo’s car, with a single thought going through your mind.

_This isn’t going to end well._


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Y/N-chan, yer just as dumb as my shit-for-brains brother! No, sorry yer much smarter than ‘Samu… but what the fuck were ya thinkin’ askin’ Kuroo-kun to be yer date? Ya coulda just asked me,” Atsumu whined into the phone as soon as you answered.
> 
> “I didn’t ask because you’re an asshole to people you don’t like… and you wouldn’t like my family,”
> 
> “I’m a fuckin’ delight! I still don’t understand, out of all the people ya know, ya asked Kuroo? I’m sure others have already told ya, but this shit’s gon blow up in yer face,”
> 
> “Everything’s gonna be fine, I don’t get why everyone’s so skeptical,”
> 
> “It’s ‘cause ya two got that weird sexual tension shit where ya look like ya wanna always fuck each other’s brains out,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mkay folks, ik in japan you can probably take the bullet train from tokyo to osaka, but for the sake of this story they're gonna drive there ;) also atsumu and reader friendship :)) I love atsumu a lot !!
> 
> Me: pushes sakuatsu agenda into my reader insert fic ;)

You and Kuroo were set to leave tomorrow morning, but Iwaizumi’s words from a few days ago still lingered in your mind.

_It’s all fake._

_Then keep it that way, before you hurt him and yourself._

_It’s all fake._

_It’s all fake._

_It’s all fake._

_It’s all-_

“Hey, you good?” Kuroo asked from beside you, eyebrows furrowed, drawing you out from your thoughts.

“Uh- yeah. Fine. Just thinking, ‘s all,” you murmured, avoiding eye contact with him. 

The two of you were out shopping, grabbing some last-minute essentials for the weekend, though you had not bought much, too lost in your thoughts to be focusing on the items you needed to purchase.

“You’ve been doing a lot of that recently. Don’t wanna hurt your brain,” he teased, gently poking your forehead. 

Normally you would have responded back with a witty remark or flicked him back, but right now your mind was too preoccupied with panicking about the wedding and this whole ordeal to take notice of Kuroo's actions.

Kuroo, perceptive as ever, noticed your unresponsiveness and decided to take matters into his own hands. He grabbed your forearm gently and dragged you to a corner of the store where there were not many people, his tall frame hovering over you.

“Okay, spill it. What’s been going on with you?” he asked softly.

“N-nothing,” you sputtered, cheeks warming under his scrutinizing gaze.

Kuroo didn’t buy it.

“‘Nothing’ my ass. You’ve been a lot quieter since that night at Oikawa’s… are you still worried about them? ‘Cause you know they’ll be fine right? If you really want, we-”

“No!” you said a little too loudly and then immediately quieted down. “No, no it’s not them. I’m just- I’m just worried about the wedding, I guess. I’m not all too thrilled about seeing my aunts and cousins,” 

This wasn’t a total lie. Seeing your extended family was always something you dreaded. They always found something to criticize you about, be it your appearance, your relationship status, or some totally absurd thing, knowing it angered you to no end. Christ, they had no filter.

So yeah, you weren’t lying to Kuroo when you told him you were worried about your family… you just didn’t tell him the whole truth.

“I’m sure everything will be okay,” he tried reassuring you.

You let out a cold laugh because hell would freeze over before your aunts would be even remotely nice to you.

“Yeah no. They’re not the easiest people to get along with and I’d rather not talk about them right now. Maybe later I’ll fill you in on how _amazing_ my aunts are,” you rolled your eyes, starting to walk off. Kuroo followed, swinging his arm behind your shoulders, gently pulling you into his side.

“Don’t worry, Y/N. We’re gonna have fun, okay? I’ll be there the whole time, so if you need a moment away from your family, I’ll be there to swoop you away,” he said with a lilt in his voice.

Your heart fluttered at his words and you almost combusted right in the middle of the store.

_Be still my heart,_ you thought, scolding yourself for being so easily flustered.

“Yeah, you’re right. Nothing to worry about,” you whispered to yourself. Kuroo seemed satisfied with your response and tugged you along to the next store. 

Though your family was the least of your concern now, your worries grew for where your relationship with Kuroo stood and how this would inevitably end as a shitshow if you couldn’t get yourself together.

~~~

 _“Y/N-chan, yer just as dumb as my shit-for-brains brother! No, sorry yer much smarter than ‘Samu… but what the fuck were ya thinkin’ askin’ Kuroo-kun to be yer date? Ya coulda just asked me,”_ Atsumu whined into the phone as soon as you answered.

“I didn’t ask because you’re an asshole to people you don’t like… and you wouldn’t like my family,”

_“I’m a fuckin’ delight! I still don’t understand, out of all the people ya know, ya asked Kuroo? I’m sure others have already told ya, but this shit’s gon blow up in yer face,”_

“Everything’s gonna be fine, I don’t get why everyone’s so skeptical,”

_“It’s ‘cause ya two got that weird sexual tension shit where ya look like ya wanna always fuck each other’s brains out,”_

“Jesus,” you whispered into the phone. “I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. What you just described is what you and Sakusa have going on,”

_“Omi-kun and I are already datin’ so obviously we fuck and-”_

“Shut up. Just please, Atsumu, shut up. If you and Sakusa are already dating, why would you offer to come with me? No, no not even that, why’d you decide to call and bother me?”

_“Just to tell ya that when ya come to Osaka, make sure to stop by and visit us. Bokkun and Shoyo-kun have been restless since they found out ya ‘n Kuroo were coming,”_

“Yeah, of course. I’ll let Kuroo know,”

There was a pause and then a deep sigh before Atsumu spoke again.

_“Listen, I know I can be a pain in the ass-”_

“Damn straight,”

_“- but I just don’t wanna see ya get hurt. So, make sure ya don’t act extra stupid, ‘kay?”_

“Yes mother,” you chuckled, rolling your eyes though Atsumu couldn’t see you. Leave it to Atsumu to simultaneously be annoying and considerate.

_“See ya soon, scrub,”_

“Tell the team I said hi,” you said before hanging up the phone.

You threw your phone on your bed and dropped yourself onto the mattress, sighing deeply. 

Iwaizumi, Oikawa and Atsumu had all told you this would end badly. Even that small part of your brain doubted a positive outcome. But that just angered you even more.

Did they really think that you and Kuroo wouldn’t work out as a real couple? Did they doubt your ability to maintain your friendship with Kuroo? Did they not think you were able to take care of yourself?

You scowled at yourself for asking ridiculous questions. 

They were just looking out for you, making sure that you don’t regret anything and, well, their concerns weren’t completely unreasonable, you thought. You weren’t blind to the obvious tension between you and Kuroo, though, you wondered if he was oblivious to it. 

Kuroo was flirtatious by nature, he had chemistry with almost everyone he met. So maybe there really wasn’t anything between you two. It was probably just Kuroo’s personality. You supposed that his actions were driven by the fact that _you_ asked him to be your fake boyfriend. It was then that it finally hit you, every interaction between you and Kuroo hadn’t been genuine. It was just Kuroo being a good friend, doing what you asked him to. And maybe that’s what stung the most, the fact that you wanted it to be real, wanted him to hold your hand and take you out because he wanted to.

You screamed into the sheets, the sound coming out muffled because you finally understood all the nervousness, the excitement, the blushing whenever you were around Kuroo,

_Fuck, fuck, fuck._

_You had feelings for Kuroo._

This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. You weren’t supposed to develop feelings, this wasn’t- this wasn’t okay. Finally addressing it, being fully aware of your feelings, changed everything.

_Fuck, fuck, fuck._

You reached out for your phone again and quickly pressed on Oikawa’s contact. The number dialed for a few seconds before it went to voicemail. You groaned loudly, deciding to call Iwaizumi, but stopping yourself short because chances were if Oikawa wasn’t answering neither would Iwa. So, you rang up Atsumu, desperate for advice.

_“Missed me already? We just talked, Y/N-chan”_ Atsumu sang from the other side of the phone.

“Piss off. I’ve got a problem,” you grumbled.

_“Somethin’ tells me I’m not gon’ be surprised. What’s up?”_

“I have feelings for Kuroo,”

Atsumu stayed silent for a few moments, probably taking into consideration the weight of your words.

_“And this- this was a recent development?”_ Atsumu asked suspiciously.

“Mhm, as of like five mins ago,” you hummed.

_“Fuckin’ Christ.”_ Atsumu cursed quietly into the phone. “ _I thought ya already knew ya liked him. Yer tellin’ me that all that eye-fuckin’ between ya ‘n Kuroo-kun was unintentional?”_

“What the hell-”

_“Ya can’t seriously be that dense. We literally just had this conversation, and I don’t think I can put myself through that bullshit again. So, listen up ya idiot, anyone with eyes could tell ya had feelings for him, and I can’t even fathom how yer just realizn’ this shit right now. But that doesn’t matter. I’m not gon’ beat around the bush, so I’m gon’ lay it out for ya, ‘kay?”_

“Yeah, okay,”

_“Ya gotta ask yerself a few questions. Is your friendship with Kuroo-kun worth riskin’ to pursue a relationship? Suppose ya do decide to confess-”_

“Like hell I will,” you scoffed.

_“Shut yer trap ‘n let me finish. Suppose ya do decide to confess, what happens after? Are ya lookin’ for a relationship? Is_ Kuroo _lookin’ for a relationship? There’s a lot of variables Y/N-chan, just be careful before ya do anything rash,”_

“I appreciate the advice Atsumu, but you’re talking to me as if I’m actually gonna tell him my feelings,”

_“So, enlighten me as to what exactly ya plan on doin’ with those feelin’s of yers?”_

“Repress them until I move on,” you stated as if it were the most obvious thing.

_“Yer really fuckin’ stupid if ya think that’s gon’ work out. That’s not healthy and-”_

“I didn’t call you to get fucking scolded by you,” you said harshly. You flinched at the sharpness of your own tone, though Atsumu didn’t seem bothered.

_“I’m gon’ ignore yer bitchy attitude right now and ask then why exactly did ya call me. Ya want me to tell ya that bottlin’ yer feelin’s is good? ‘Cause I won’t. That shit’s not gonna turn out well. Ya want me to tell ya to move on? ‘Cause I won’t do that either until you decide to tackle yer feelin’s head on. Stop runnin’ away from things that scare ya ‘n do somethin’ about it. I’ll see ya soon, I gotta go,”_ and with that Atsumu hung up. 

You just stared at your ceiling, replaying the conversation in your mind. Atsumu was right, you couldn’t deny the feelings that you had for Kuroo… but you could ignore them.

~~~

It was an early Thursday morning when Kuroo had come to pick you up. You planned to arrive in Osaka around two in the afternoon that same day and check into the hotel that your cousins had booked for the guests. Afterwards, Kuroo and you would visit Bokuto, Atsumu and Hinata at Bokuto’s apartment before returning later that night. Friday and Saturday were going to be spent with your family and helping prepare for the wedding and then you and Kuroo would leave Sunday morning to return to Tokyo. Though there was a lot to look forward to, your nerves had not been put at ease since your phone call with Atsumu, if anything you had become more anxious. 

You walked up to Kuroo’s car door, backpack slung across your shoulder, your other hand pulling your suitcase behind you. Kuroo was leaning on his car, arms crossed on his chest with his signature smirk.

“Ready to go?” he asked, approaching you to take your suitcase. You handed him the handle of the luggage and reached for the passenger door.

“As ready as I’ll ever be, I suppose,” you laughed nervously. You ducked your head inside the car, tossing your backpack in the back seat and made yourself comfortable in the front. You felt Kuroo slam the trunk shut and saw him walk back to the driver’s seat.

“No need to be so nervous, Y/N, it’s only a weekend and then we’ll be back home,” Kuroo said, buckling his seatbelt.

“I know, I know. I’m being dramatic, but I haven’t seen some of them in so long and I’m not too entirely thrilled to see them now. Guess it makes it easier that you’re coming with me,” you mumbled the last part.

Kuroo chuckled lowly, as he started to reverse out of the parking lot.

“I’m flattered you think so highly of me. You’ve given me more compliments in the last month than the entirety of our friendship,” Kuroo teased. You just rolled your eyes, though you could feel yourself blushing because you hadn’t even realized how much you had complimented Kuroo recently. 

Your conversation with Atsumu replayed itself in your head. Did you always have feelings for Kuroo? Was it that fucking obvious? Had Kuroo noticed, like Atsumu had? He must have because Atsumu was hours away and still knew, so Kuroo couldn’t have been that blind to your interactions.

What baffled you more, however, was how natural it all felt, how you unconsciously did the things you did with Kuroo. Reaching out for the sleeve of his sweater, leaning into his touch when he swung his arm over your shoulders, resting your head on his shoulder when you would watch movies. _Complimenting him._ It was instinctual. It all seemed so platonic, so innocent, though, from an outside perspective, you understood how it could be interpreted differently. 

This whole thing frustrated you because now you had to deal with these stupid feelings of yours, somehow preserve your friendship with Kuroo, but also pretend to be a couple while dealing with your families.

_Should be easy._

You had been so lost in your thoughts that you hadn’t even realized you drifted off for so long until you felt Kuroo’s warm hand on your knee and noticed that he had started driving on the highway. His hand was burning you through the fabric of your pants, and it was getting really hard to focus when his hand slid up higher to your midthigh, then suddenly you felt ablaze. You held breath, afraid of what would happen if you breathed too loudly.

“Hey, you need to stop stressing so much. I don’t know what’s been going on with you the last few days, but let’s just try to have some fun, yeah?” Kuroo said warmly, glancing at you briefly before returning his focus to the road. 

“Yeah, ‘m sorry. I’ve been a little out of it. I don’t- I don’t really know why I'm being weird, but I want you to enjoy this weekend, as well, so don’t feel obligated to always stick with me,” Kuroo scoffed at your words with a small smile and you immediately looked up at him.

“You’re ridiculous, Y/N, I’ll enjoy this weekend if I’m with you,”

You felt your breath hitch at his words, and you stared straight at Kuroo with wide eyes.

_Fuck, Kuroo would be the death of me,_ you thought to yourself.

~~~

“Hey, hon, we’re here,” Kuroo whispered, poking your head a little to wake you. You mumbled something incoherent, bothered by the incessant nudging.

“Come on Sleeping Beauty, you’re drooling,”

“Fuck off,” you grumbled, shutting your eyes tighter and snuggling deeper into the seat.

“Hey idiot, I’ve been trying to wake you for the past five minutes and if you don’t wake up now, I’m gonna drag you out in front of your entire family,” Kuroo threatened.

You opened your eyes and immediately glared at Kuroo before rubbing your eyes to wake yourself up some more.

“We got here quick,” you noticed, looking out the window to see the hotel you would be staying at.

“Yeah, you fell asleep about two hours in and only woke up once to tell me how pretty you thought I was,”

A pause.

“You’re fucking with me,” you deadpanned.

“Nope,” Kuroo said, popping the ‘p’ sound.

“Shut the fuck up, what did I actually say,” you glared at Kuroo.

“Y/N, why don’t you believe me,”

“Because I wouldn’t say ridiculous shit like that, now what did I actually say,”

“Fine, you said how you want Daichi to crush you with his thighs,”

“Yeah, see that sounds more believable,” you smiled triumphantly.

“You’re fucking with me. That’s more believable than you saying I’m pretty?!” Kuroo said incredulously.

“Well, have you seen Daichi’s thighs?” you said as if it were the most obvious thing (because it was).

Kuroo grumbled at your words, “Yeah, obviously. I’m not fucking blind,”.

"Good, now let's head up. Time to introduce you to my parents," you winked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im gonna be honest, my original plan was to have chapter 4 include the entire wedding, but clearly that didn't happen. after i wrote chapter 3, i had to sort of replan the story, but no worries i can make it work :)
> 
> anyways feedback always appreciated!
> 
> find me on tumblr @reefsntsumu


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “How are you doing, Sakusa?” 
> 
> “As good as I can be dating an idiot like Atsumu,” Atsumu gasped dramatically and started pouting before Sakusa entangled his hands with Atsumu.
> 
> “Y’all are gross,” 
> 
> “You’re just jealous that your current relationship isn’t even real. That sad and single life is making you bitchier, Y/N-chan,” Atsumu grinned.
> 
> “Your brutally honest opinions are something I did not miss nor did I ask for,” you said, thinking back to Oikawa’s familiar words.
> 
> Fucking setters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updated tags!!!

When you and Kuroo had gotten out of the car, you were immediately engulfed in a hug by your parents. You stumbled a few steps before hugging your parents back.

Kuroo stood awkwardly to the side, bags in hand, as he watched your parents fuss over you.

Your parents pulled back from you and your mom started speaking quickly.

“Honey you never call us anymore and-,” your mom started as she ran her hands over your face, looking at you lovingly.

“I called you this morning,” you mumbled sheepishly.

“You never visit us- “

“And for good reason, you know how Auntie can be when she sees me,” you explained, sounding slightly irritated. Your dad seemed to have noticed and decided to speak up.

“Hon, I think we can talk about this later,” your dad gently pulled your mom away from you. “Right now, I think Y/N has someone to introduce to us,” your dad said with that look in his eyes as if he were ready to embarrass you. You internally groaned at the thought of your dad telling Kuroo embarrassing stories about you, but you smiled brightly and waved towards Kuroo, signaling him to come closer.

“Mom, Dad, this is Ku-Tetsurou,” you said, catching yourself. “Tetsurou, my parents,”

“Y/N always mentioned a friend named Kuroo with bad hair, suppose that’s you?” Your dad said immediately. You sputtered at his words, “D-dad what the heck,”

“I’m just playing, it’s nice to meet you Kuroo-kun,” your dad said with a sly smile, reaching his hand out. Kuroo and he shook hands.

“Nice to meet you, too L/N-san. Though, Y/N has several friends with bad hair, Bokuto, Iwaizumi, Atsumu at one point,” You giggled at Kuroo’s words thinking back to how horribly dyed Atsumu’s hair had been at one point, “I don’t see how you could have made that deduction with just the description of bad hair,”

“Y/N talks about you the most,” your mom chipped in with a knowing smile. “So, it only makes sense that the person talked about most would be the boyfriend, no?”

Kuroo blushed at this and looked at you for a second, before returning his attention to your parents. 

“I like this one, he knows Atsumu’s hair was shit,” your dad said a moment later, slapping Kuroo’s back and Kuroo just looked back at you smugly. You took that as a sign to leave. You grabbed Kuroo’s hand without a second thought and waved goodbye to your parents.

“Oookay I think Tetsurou and I should head up and unpack. We have plans with our friends later, but I’ll stop by your room later mom and dad. Love you!” You called out, blushing furiously at the way your mom just exposed you.

“Bye honey, be safe, use-!” 

“Mom!” You yelled back, cutting her off before she could embarrass you any further. You could hear your parents cackling in the back and felt Kuroo shaking with laughter next to you.

“Your parents seemed nice,” Kuroo commented after you both started to head towards your hotel room.

“Yeah, they’re wonderful. I can tell they liked you a lot,” you glanced up at Kuroo who happened to be looking down at you as well. You held each other’s gaze for a few moments before Kuroo spoke again.

“I don’t know, your dad seemed skeptical of me,” Tetsurou said nervously, scratching the back of his neck. You giggled at his nervousness.

“Well, you don’t have the friendliest face,"

Tetsurou gasped dramatically. “What?!”

“Okay, well you have this whole rugged mysterious bad boy vibe going for you,” you explained, waving your hands in front of Kuroo. “Do you honestly think my dad wouldn’t be just a little bit wary?” 

“You think I have a bad boy vibe going on?” Tetsurou smirked.

“You’re kidding me? That’s what you decided to take from my explanation,”

“Answer the question Y/N,” Tetsurou’s eyes glistened with mischief.

“So, what if you do give off a bad boy vibe, the moment you open your mouth everyone knows how much of a loser you really are,”

“You’re the one dating this loser,”

“Unfortunately,” 

“Rude!” Tetsurou cried.

You just snorted at him before reaching your hotel room. You grabbed the keycard and swiped it through, the green light blinking before you swung it open. You walked in and stilled immediately, Tetsurou running into you briefly. You both stared ahead at the room, bodies practically pressed against each other as you both took in the layout of the room.

There was only one bed.

“I think when I told my cousin I was bringing my boyfriend she assumed we’d be sharing a bed,” you stammered.

“A valid assumption,” Tetsurou said quietly, still taking in the fact that you both might have to end up sharing a bed.

There wasn’t anything wrong with sleeping together, however, this was uncharted territory. In the past month, on the nights where you’d sleep at Tetsurou’s place, he’d always crash on the couch, you on his bed. The closest you both had come to sleeping together was when you had fallen asleep in his arms for a few moments at Oikawa’s apartment. This was something entirely different, something you hadn’t planned for, and it seemed neither had Kuroo.

“I can- I can take the sofa,” Tetsurou offered, gesturing to the couch pushed up against the wall.

“Tetsurou, I think the bed is plenty big for the both of us,” you said, though you secretly shared the same concerns as Tetsurou.

“Are you sure? I mean I don’t mind- “

“Yes, I’m sure, don’t worry okay,” you gave him a reassuring smile.

“Alrighty then, I’m gonna take a power nap. I’m exhausted,” Tetsurou yawned, dropping his bags in the corner of the room.

“Okay, I’m gonna go shower, and then we can get ready and leave. Yeah?”

“Yeah, sounds good,” Tetsurou said before throwing himself onto the couch.

“You know you can take the bed, right?” You quirked an eyebrow.

“Mmm, it’s too far,” Tetsurou mumbled before closing his eyes. You laughed quietly before grabbing your things and heading into the shower.

You pushed aside the curtains, turning on the hot shower, and walked back to the sink, waiting for the water to warm up. You stared at yourself in the mirror, looking at yourself intently, observing what your aunt would criticize you of this time. The shape of your face, your body, your clothes, _your smile_. She was completely ruthless and seemed oblivious to just how rude she was. You gripped the edge of the counter tighter, knuckles turning white, as you took deep breaths, trying to calm your worries. The steam of the shower began seeping out the tub; you stripped yourself down and entered the scalding water, flinching at the heat, before relaxing under the warmth, sighing deeply.

This weekend was going to be _interesting._ And stressful.

But you knew exactly who you needed to talk to after you were done cleaning yourself.

~~

 _“So, you’re sharing a bed with your crush_?” Oikawa clarified through the phone, though you could hear him holding back a laugh. On the other side of the line, you could hear Iwaizumi cackling loudly at Oikawa’s words.

“Tell Iwaizumi to stop laughing or I’m gonna slap him when I come back,”

 _“Iwa-chan!”_ Oikawa yelled out, “ _Y/N-chan said that unless you want to die, you should stop laughing_ ,” this just made Iwaizumi laugh more and you cursed him through the phone.

Tetsurou had gone to shower a few moments after you had exited the shower and gotten dressed. With the common space of the hotel room to yourself, you had decided to call your best friend and resident pain in the ass for some advice, though he was showing to be utterly useless.

“ _No, but seriously, how is this gonna work out?”_ Oikawa asked.

“I don’t- I don’t really know. I mean the bed is pretty big and ugh-” you groaned “- I don’t know. Just hope for the best, I guess,”

“ _Hoping for the best never really works out for you,”_

“Listen up asshole, I didn’t call to be told what everyone and their mother has been telling me. I realized this whole thing was a bad idea, I just didn’t think I would develop feelings,”

“ _You always had feelings for him, you were just stupid to realize_ ,”

“Fuck off. Ever since you and Iwaizumi got your shit together and confessed or whatever, both of y’all have been extra annoying,” you mumbled.

 _“So bitter Y/N-chan. No reason to be mean to me and my_ boyfriend _just ‘cause you’re sad and single,_ ” Oikawa chided.

“I’m calling Atsumu,” you said childishly.

“ _He’ll just rub his and Sakusa-kun’s relationship in your face, too_ ,”

“I hate you both,” knowing that Oikawa wasn’t completely wrong. “You know any other sad single people I can go and cry with?” you sighed.

“ _At the top of my head, no. Just you and Tetsu-chan_ ,” Oikawa sang.

“For some reason, whenever I call you or Atsumu, y’all always give me shit advice. Maybe it’s a setter thing,”

“ _Call Tobio-chan and test that theory_ ,”

“Oh god no. I love Tobio a lot, but he is probably the most emotionally inept person I know,”

“ _And I continue to wonder how come he and Chibi-chan are still not together_ ,” Oikawa said sarcastically and then a “ _Oh! Yes, Chibi-chan and Tobio-chan are single, as well. Though I don’t think talking to them would do you any good_ ,”

“Tooru, I love you; you know that-'' you started, tired of hearing about how you were single, “-but this conversation is going nowhere, and I’m positive I can feel Iwaizumi ready to pounce you and kiss you. So, I’ll do all three of us a favor and hang up. I gotta see Bokuto-san and Atsumu anyway. Have fun, don’t do anything stupid,” you said into the phone.

“ _Always so perceptive,”_ Oikawa praised. _“But have fun tonight and_ you _don’t do anything stupid. I’m gonna go make out with Iwa-chan now. Bye, love youuu_!” Oikawa sang before ending the call.

You sighed deeply, as you laid on your and Tetsurou’s bed, pressing your face into the pillow and patiently waiting for Tetsurou to finish getting ready so that you and he could get leave to see your friends. 

The warmth and comfort of the bed had been so overwhelming, you supposed you had fallen asleep because the next thing you remembered was being gently shaken awake by Kuroo.

“Gosh, you sleep a lot, Y/N,” Tetsurou said gently. You forced your eyes open and were surprised at how close Kuroo’s face was to yours. You could feel your cheeks warming and before Tetsurou could notice, you swatted his face away and slowly pushed yourself up.

“You were taking too long,” you said tiredly as you pushed off the covers and walked towards the mirror.

“Yeah, yeah, but we should get going,” Tetsurou replied, tying his shoes, and then pulling on his coat. 

You fixed yourself in the mirror, pressing your hands down your clothes to smooth out the wrinkles. You sighed deeply, still a little tired, though excited to see everyone. You turned to Tetsurou with a smile but stilled when you saw him staring at you. You held each other’s gaze for a few moments, looking at one another intently.

It was all too overwhelming. The heavy silence between you two, the unspoken words that you both were too scared to say, the confessions that lied on the tip of your tongues ready to slip out at any moment. There was _something_ there. Something that was weighing you both down.

To think it was a risk to verbalize these feelings was a mistake on both your parts.

A moment passed, before Tetsurou’s phone started ringing loudly. You jumped slightly at the sudden noise before you saw him blush as he turned to answer his phone.

“Hey Bokuto, what’s up?” Tetsurou answered. As Tetsurou talked with Bokuto on the phone, you texted Oikawa very quickly.

**You** _:_ i am fucked.

 **You** _:_ utterly fucked

 **You** _:_ my heart is literally going to stop working

 **Tooru** _:_ iwa-chan says to stop being a lil bitch and confess

 **You** _:_ whore, stop showing him my messages

 **Tooru** _:_ good luck, y/n-chan :)

 **You** _:_ fuck you

_read 3:37 pm_

“Bitch,” you muttered to yourself, though it was loud enough for Tetsurou to turn his head slightly with a questionable look.

You mouthed ‘Oikawa,’ pointed to your phone, and rolled your eyes. Tetsurou got the message and smiled before returning to his phone call with Bokuto.

What’re two more days with Tetsurou? It’ll be alright.

Right?

~~~

“Y/N-chan!” Bokuto and Hinata yelled, bouncing over to you and Tetsurou before engulfing you in what was probably the best hug of your life. Tetsurou watched amusedly, as you hugged your friends back laughing with them.

God, you had missed them.

Atsumu walked up to you, hand in hand with Sakusa, before pulling you into a tight back, letting go of Sakusa’s hand. 

“How’s it goin’, scrub?” Atsumu asked, ruffling your hair, before slinging his arm across your shoulders.

“Could be better, I guess,” you sighed before continuing, “But I’m glad to see y’all. I really missed y’all,”

“You better have, Y/N-chan!” Bokuto spoke up, joining you and Atsumu. “‘Tsumu hasn’t stopped talking about how excited he was to see you. I think Omi-san was getting a little jealous,”

“Oh, fuck off, Bokuto. I wasn’t jealous,” Sakusa snapped before looking at you. “I was not jealous. Do not listen to that idiot,” 

“Omi-san, I’m telling Keiji you called me an idiot,” Bokuto whined.

“Good, I’m sure he’ll agree,” Sakusa muttered. Bokuto just cried Keiji’s name loudly before running off to find his boyfriend.

“How are you doing, Sakusa?” you asked, still shaking a little from laughing between Sakusa and Bokuto’s interactions.

“As good as I can be dating an idiot like Atsumu,” Atsumu gasped dramatically and started pouting before Sakusa entangled his hands with Atsumu.

“Y’all are gross,” you rolled your eyes.

“You’re just jealous that your current relationship isn’t even real. That sad and single life is making you bitchier, Y/N-chan,” Atsumu grinned.

“Your brutally honest opinions are something I did not miss nor did I ask for,” you said, thinking back to Oikawa’s familiar words.

_Fucking setters._

Looking around, you realized you had lost sight of Tetsurou and started searching for him. You saw him hanging in the back of the kitchen with Akaashi and Bokuto.

You started walking towards them before Hinata came up beside you and pulled you towards the balcony. For what, you had no idea, but you turned back to look at the kitchen, briefly making eye contact with Kuroo, who looked like he was blushing.

You’d have to ask him about that later, but until then, you followed Hinata out to the terrace.

~~

“Kuroo-san, when are you gonna tell Y/N-san, your feelings?” Akaashi asked sharply.

“Gosh, Akaashi-kun, you got straight to the point,” Tetsurou chuckled nervously.

“If I didn’t, you’d avoid having this conversation. So, answer the damn question,” Akaashi pressed.

“Bo, the hell is wrong with your boyfriend. Why is he being so mean to me?” Tetsurou complained to Koutarou, who had his arm wrapped around Akaashi’s waist. Koutarou just watched Akaashi interrogate Tetsurou with a smirk.

“I don’t know, bro. Keiji’s got a good point,” Koutarou shrugged.

“Also, I’m tired of Kozume calling me in the middle of the night complaining about your disgusting pining. It’s ridiculous, just confess already,”

Tetsurou scratched the back of his neck nervously, turning his head to look where he had last seen you.

“I-,” Tetsurou paused briefly when he saw walking out on the terrace with Hinata. He saw you hesitate for a second before you turned back to follow Hinata. Tetsurou brought his focus back to Akaashi.

“I don’t know. There’s too much at stake,” Tetsurou mumbled and Akaashi just rolled his.

“You’re kidding. You’re fucking kidding me. I thought you were supposed to be smart Kuroo-san,”

“Akaa- what the hell,” Tetsurou asked offendedly, slightly terrified. Koutarou intervened before Akaashi could answer.

“I think what Keiji means to say is that it’s clear Y/N chan feels the same way for you, so there really isn’t anything at risk if you both feel the same,” and then Koutarou turned to Akaashi, “Is that what you meant to say, Keiji?”

“Yes, thank you,” Akaashi said embarrassedly.

“Hypothetically if I were to confess, I wouldn’t until after the wedding. It’d be too awkward if I got rejected,”

“I’m leaving. Your ability to ignore Y/N’s very obvious feelings for you is making me frustrated,” Akaashi sighed before walking off to join Osamu at the dining table.

“Keiji’s got a point,” Koutarou nudged Tetsurou with his elbow.

“I don’t want to fuck up what we have. I don’t even know _what_ we have, but I like it. I like it a lot. And I don’t want to throw it away,” Tetsurou confessed.

“If you don’t say something soon, there won’t be anything to throw away because the longer you hesitate the more time that is for Y/N-chan to move on from what they think is also unrequited love. Are you really gonna protect yourself at the expense of Y/N’s feelings?”

Tetsurou blinked when Koutarou finished speaking.

“When did you get so wise?” Tetsurou smirked, shoving Koutarou lightly, and Koutarou just grinned back.

“Don’t underestimate my ability to be emotionally understanding,”

“I would never,” Tetsurou and Koutarou cackled, the feeling of dread no longer burdening Tetsurou.

He supposed being around Koutarou did that; being around Koutarou kept him at ease.

~~~

“Okay, Y/N-san, I know this is gonna sound really crazy, what I’m about to say-” Hinata paused looking at you seriously. “Are you ready?” He whispered. 

You nodded skeptically.

“I’m in love with Kageyama-kun,”

And you just blinked. It took a few seconds to process what Hinata had said before you spoke up.

“I-uh, congratulations?” you offered questionably.

“You don’t seem surprised,” Hinata said suspiciously.

“I’m sorry! I thought you already knew you liked him,” you smiled, but Hinata just stared at you, surprisingly.

“What?! What made you think that?”

You let out a laugh. “‘What made me think-’ geez- Hinata, I don’t know how about literally remembering a promise you both made in _high school_? I don’t know, maybe always being around each other, working towards the same goal, being each other’s motivation. I don’t fucking know, Hinata, there was a lot that gave it away,” 

Hinata stayed silent, contemplating your words. “Do you think he feels the same?”

“Yes,” you immediately replied because whether Kageyama realized or not, what Kageyama and Hinata had was an unparalleled type of love.

“Okay,” Hinata started, “Okay, yeah, I’ll take your word for it,” Hinata said with a bright smile and you couldn’t help but smile back.

“So, when are you gonna tell Kuroo-san you like him?” Hinata asked without a warning.

“W-what the hell are you talking about?” you stuttered because fuck, were you really that obvious?

“Atsumu-san had let it slip, I think,”

You mentally cursed Atsumu and his loudmouth.

“I don’t know. Our friendship means a lot to me and I don’t want to throw it away,”

“I didn’t take you for a coward, Y/N-san,” Hinata said seriously.

You sputtered, “I-I’m not a coward. I’m being realistic,”

“Realistically, you and Kuroo-san should be in an actual relationship, right now, not a fake one,”

“Oh, fuck off, Hinata,”

“I’m just saying, are you really gonna be happy just being friends forever when there’s a chance you both could be more?” Hinata advised.

You groaned with annoyance because fuck, Hinata was right, you would probably regret never taking that chance, forever thinking about what could have been.

“No, I suppose I wouldn’t,” you sighed.

~~~

The rest of the night with your friends had flown by quickly. You had a great time, seeing everyone after months of being away and laughing with the people you had missed. You wished the night had lasted forever, though you knew that you and Tetsurou would have to eventually take your leave and head back to the hotel. 

The car ride back was silent, the faint sound of the radio playing to fill the emptiness. Both you and Tetsurou had seemed to be stuck in your own thoughts, but you decided to speak up and start a conversation.

“So, what were you and Akaashi talking about,” you asked. Tetsurou seemed surprised by the question, looking at you quizzically before returning his attention to the road.

“Oh, nothing important, just about our plans for the weekend and stuff,” Tetsurou shrugged. “What were you and Hinata talking about?”

“Take a guess,” you snorted.

“Hmm, Kageyama?” Tetsurou smirked.

“Mhm,” you hummed in response, “He finally realized his feelings for Kageyama,”

“About time.”

“The number of people in our lives who hopelessly pine over someone who is so clearly in love with them is ridiculous. Oikawa and Iwaizumi, Hinata and Kageyama, Bokuto and Akaashi at one point,” you listed.

“Glad they finally got their shit together,”

“A miracle really,”

And the conversation was dropped in favor of listening to the radio and observing the bright outline of the city’s skyline, blurs of light passing by as Tetsurou hummed to a song. 

The domesticity of the situation reminded you of your first ‘date’ with Tetsurou, those feelings you had chosen to push aside and ignore that day had resurfaced these past few days and wouldn’t go away. How naive you had been to think that you would be able to go this long without catching feelings.

Guess you’d have to deal with them eventually.

But not this weekend.

~~

“I really am not looking forward to brunch tomorrow,” you groaned, throwing yourself face down onto the bed next to Tetsurou. Tetsurou just shifted slightly to give you more room to splay your limbs across the bed.

“I think you’re just being dramatic,” he spoke, scrolling through his phone.

“I think I’m being perfectly reasonable,” you whined, turning your head to face Tetsurou, who was already looking at you.

“Just go to sleep hon, we’ll worry about it tomorrow,” he reassured, before reaching to the side to turn the lamp off.

“You’re right, G’night Tetsurou,”

“Goodnight Y/N,”

~~~

“Psst, Tetsurou, are you still awake?” you prodded Tetsurou’s side a few minutes after he had turned the light.

“Hmm, what do you need,” he slurred tiredly.

“If brunch goes to shit, you’re obligated to defend me and take me to dinner,”

“Brunch isn’t gonna go to shit, stop stressing and go to sleep,”

~~~

Brunch had gone to shit.

Well, the entire morning had essentially gone to shit.

But brunch had been the cherry on top of the fucking shitfest.

The day had started with you and Tetsurou waking up in a… compromising position.

You stirred lightly, feeling a warmth across your stomach, a feeling of security washing over you as you felt your back pressed against something solid. Still, in your sleepy haze, you had snuggled closer into the warmth, until you realized you were cuddling with someone. Cuddling with _Tetsurou._ It seemed that Tetsurou had also woken up, though he seemed to have processed the situation faster than you because before you knew it, Tetsurou was scrambling out of bed, mumbling incoherent apologies as he rushed into the bathroom and locked it.

The whole thing had gone downhill so quick you could barely comprehend what just happened. You threw your legs over the side of the bed, sitting up and rubbing the sleep out of your eyes, trying to recollect the moments before.

You and Tetsurou had basically been cuddling until he realized what was happening and ran away.

You were confused. 

Why would Atsumu, Oikawa, and Hinata all say that Tetsurou had feelings for you when he so clearly didn’t even want to be next to you. It was frustrating and overwhelming to think about, especially since you already had so much to worry about that day.

You decided to think about it later, focusing on getting ready for brunch with your family. Tetsurou walked out of the bathroom a few minutes later, and you walked past him, locking yourself in the bathroom without exchanging any words. You leaned against the door taking deep breaths.

You were doing so well, keeping your feelings in check and you had to go and ruin it by _cuddling_ of all things. 

You started getting ready, washing your face, brushing your teeth, fixing your hair, and whatnot before returning to the common space of the hotel room. Tetsurou wasn’t there and you felt disappointed. You assumed he had gone down already; you were both running late for brunch anyway. You changed into your outfit, running your hands down your body as you stared at yourself in the mirror.

_Deep breaths. Everything’s going to be fine. Just breathe and get today over it._

You grabbed your things and opened the door, only to run into Tetsurou who looked as if he were just about to knock. You blinked surprisingly and looked up at Tetsurou, who had brought his hands up to your waist to steady you.

“Oh uh, sorry, I was just about to come and get you,” Tetsurou explained.

You nodded affirmingly, “Yeah, I was about to head down,”

“Ready?”

“Yup,” you said awkwardly, looking everywhere except at Tetsurou. Tetsurou wrapped his fingers around your wrist, holding you back from walking further. You slowly turned to face him,

“Are you mad at me?” he asked, without hesitation.

“No,”

“You’re acting weird,”

“Thanks, asshole,”

“What’s going on?”

“If I say it’s nothing for you to worry about, will you drop it?”

“No,”

“Well too bad, it’s nothing for you to worry about,”

“Y/N, please-,”

“Kuroo,” you said sharply, and Tetsurou flinched at the use of his last name, “Drop it. I’ll tell you about it later, right now we’ve got to go,” you turned around, pulling Tetsurou with you, giving him no time to respond.

You both walked down to the dining area in silence, intertwining your hands together when you entered.

“Y/N!” your aunt called out as soon as she saw you. You immediately tensed up, and Tetsurou must have noticed because he squeezed your hand reassuringly.

“Auntie!” you forced yourself to smile back as she pulled you into a hug.

“Oh! Look at you, you look-,” you prepared yourself for the incoming judgment but your cousin, Sakura, intervened before your aunt could finish.

“Y/N! You made it! I’m sorry I didn’t see you yesterday, I was busy, but I’m so glad you’re here,” she explained, hugging you tightly.

“Sakura, you know I wouldn’t miss your wedding,” you laughed.

“I know, I know, but you’re always so busy and you hate family gatherings, I’d thought you would have talked your way out of this, though I wouldn’t blame you if you did. I know how much of a pain in the ass our family can be,” Sakura whispered the last part.

“You think too little of me,” you rolled your eyes. You saw that your cousin had stopped looking at you and was instead staring behind you. You followed her eyes to Tetsurou, and you started blushing, forgetting that you had come here with a date.

“Are you gonna introduce me or no,” Sakura asked quietly.

“Yeah, yeah sorry,” you reached out for Tetsurou’s hand, pulling him closer to you. Tetsurou wrapped his arm around your waist and you leaned into his touch without a second thought.

“Tetsurou, this is my cousin, Sakura. Sakura, my boyfriend, Tetsurou,” you gestured between the two.

Tetsurou smiled, “Nice to meet you Sakura-chan,”

Your cousin just looked between the two of you suspiciously. You laughed nervously, waiting for her to say something.

“How long have you been faking this, Y/N?” Sakura asked hands on her waist.

Both you and Tetsurou immediately frowned, looking at each other in panic briefly.

“I- I don’t- How’d you know?” you sighed in defeat.

“You would have called me first, but instead I had to hear from your parents that you were bringing a boyfriend,” 

“I’m sorry, Sakura,”

“You don’t have to apologize,” she laughed genuinely. “I mean if you're doing this to avoid my mother’s judgment, I completely understand. I won’t tell obviously, but I do need to greet the other guests,” and then Sakura faced Tetsurou shaking his hand, “It was nice to meet you Tetsurou-kun,” a pause and then “but I don’t care if what you have with my cousin is fake. You hurt Y/N, I hurt you,” she let go of his hand and waved goodbye. “See you around lovebirds,” she giggled, walking over to other guests.

“She’s fucking terrifying,” Tetsurou let out shakily and you let out of laugh because Tetsurou’s genuine fear of your cousin was laughable.

“Sakura is my favorite. She’s like my sister, but her mother? Lord, her mother makes me want to bang my head on a table. Repeatedly,”

“I’m sure she isn’t that bad,”

“Maybe not. Maybe I am being overdramatic. But I have every right to be,” you said, pulling away from Tetsurou’s embrace and reaching for his hand. You took him over to your assigned table with Sakura, her fiancé, their parents, and your parents. 

Tetsurou pulled out your chair, and you felt yourself warming up at the gesture. You sat down next to your mom, Tetsurou sitting on the other side of you.

“So, who’s who?” Tetsurou asked quietly.

“Well, you met Sakura, her fiancé is over there,” you said pointing towards the entrance to a man with dark brown hair. “Sakura’s mom is my dad’s older sister, and she is-” you looked around before spotting her near the back of the venue, “-over there. You probably saw her when we first got here,” Tetsurou nodded. “Next to her is her husband. My dad has another older sister, but she won’t be here until tomorrow for the actual wedding. She’s a little nicer than Sakura’s mom. And over there next to Sakura is Kai. He is Sakura’s older brother. He’s wonderful. And everyone else is either family friends or extended family,” you explained. Just as you finished talking, your aunt and uncle joined the table, Sakura and her fiancé following a few moments later.

“It’s great to see you, Y/N. It’s been months since we’ve all seen you,” your uncle spoke with a smile. Unlike his wife, your uncle was a kind man, always having something nice to say.

“Yes, I know,” you laughed, “I’ve just been so busy with work-”

“Not that busy apparently, if you’ve got time to find yourself a boyfriend,” your aunt said snidely, and you stiffened.

The start of unfiltered and unwarranted comments.

“Well actually,” Tetsurou started, placing his hand on your thigh reassuringly. “Y/N and I have been friends for a while, so our relationship didn’t really interfere with either of our jobs. Thank you for your concern, though,” Tetsurou explained. You looked across the table, making eye contact with Sakura, who looked as if she was trying to bite back a smile. She nodded at you approvingly, and you smiled briefly. 

“And what exactly do you do, Tetsurou-kun?” your aunt asked sharply, eyebrow raised.

“I’m a part of the Japan Volleyball Association’s sports promotion division,” Tetsurou said matter-of-factly.

“Geez, Y/N, are you always going to associate yourself with these volleyball idiots?”

“These volleyball idiots are successful sports athletes. And before athletes, they are my friends first. You ought to stop judging me and my friends one of these days, _Auntie_ ” you said spitefully.

“And you ought to watch your mouth with me,”

“Take your own advice,”

“You’re really going to let your child talk to me like that?” your aunt turned to your father with wide eyes. Your dad just watched amusedly, in fact, it seemed that everyone was entertained with the whole interaction.

“Y/N isn’t a child anymore,” your dad said, brushing off his sister. Your aunt looked at him flabbergasted, before turning to your cousin.

“Sakura, honey, Y/N will listen to you,”

“Mom, I think you’ve walked over Y/N long enough. It’s about time they spoke back. Free entertainment at my wedding I suppose. All I ask is that you don’t pull this shit at the actual reception. Until then, please continue. I think Uncle and I are thoroughly enjoying this,” Sakura chuckled.

“It’s a good thing you never show up at these family events, you just ruin it all,” your aunt rolled her eyes, facing you again.

“Do you have no shame talking to your family like that?” you asked, narrowing your eyes at her.

“Do you have no shame being such a disgrace to this family?”

“You always say the same thing about me being a disgrace or an embarrassment and I don’t even understand where it’s coming from,”

“It’s because-”

“Because what?! It’s gone on long enough I’m sick and tired of you criticizing me for no reason. For fucks’ sake, I’m not even your child,” you said exasperatedly.

“It’s because you're friends with those volleyball players!”

“I don’t understand what my friends or their occupation have to do with me,” you stared at her confusedly.

“It’s because they’re…. They’re-”

“Because they’re guys dating guys?” Tetsurou cut in, happening to be the only one catching on to what your aunt was implying.

Your aunt remained silent, and that seemed to have answered Tetsurou’s question.

Silence fell over the table, as everyone turned to look at your aunt. You processed what just happened, before speaking up again.

“I would rather you have a valid reason to despise me than coming after my friends’ sexual orientation. Who they choose to love has nothing to do with you, nor does it have anything to do with me. Years and years of making fun of me, for my weight, my job, my friends, my appearance because you're fucking _homophobic?_ I hope you realize how ridiculous you and your homophobic beliefs sound,” you turned to Sakura who was glaring at her mother, upset at the revelation. “Sakura, I’m really _really_ sorry. But Tetsurou and I are gonna head back upstairs. We’ll see you tomorrow, though. Promise,” you looked at everyone else at the table. “I apologize for-” you waved around the table “-whatever just happened,” you finished, taking Tetsurou’s hand and dragging him out the venue.

“I shouldn’t have said anything,” Tetsurou confessed, but you continued pulling him along until you were both in the elevator. Once the doors shut, you wrapped your arms around Tetsurou, hiding your face into the crook of his neck. Tetsurou faltered for a second before snaking his arms around your waist, holding you closer and tighter.

“I am really glad you came with me,” you murmured into Tetsurou’s warm skin. “And I am glad you said something. I don’t care if she’s family, she is the absolute worst, though I’m sure Sakura will give her a piece of her mind.”

“But she’s her mother,”

“You really think that’s gonna stop Sakura?”

“I don’t really know,”

“It won’t stop her. Like you said, Sakura’s fucking terrifying,” you laughed quietly. The elevator doors dinged open; you and Tetsurou slowly parted from each other, though still holding each other’s hand as you walked to your hotel room.

When you entered the room, you threw yourself onto the bed.

“Told you brunch would go to shit,” you said, words muffled by the pillow.

“Suppose I have to take you to dinner now,” Tetsurou said, joining you on the bed, though he faced up towards the ceiling.

“You supposed right… unless you just want to get takeout,” you offered, knowing you both would be too tired later to actually go out.

“Takeout sounds good,” Tetsurou replied tiredly.

“Okay,”

A second passed between the two of you until Tetsurou spoke up again.

“Wait ‘till Oikawa finds out about what happened,”

“Oh fuck, I’m gonna call him right now,”

~~

_“You know what, I never fucking liked her. She was a total bitch to you, and she would always give me weird looks when I visited your parents,”_ Tooru complained.

“Guess that explains a lot,” you sighed.

_“So, what are you gonna do,”_

“Not sure yet. I’ll figure it out later after Sakura talks to her,”

_“Sakura’s scary, like scarier than Hajime,”_

“I’ve been hearing that a lot,”

_“Anyways, Y/N-chan, what’s Tetsu-chan doing,”_

“Napping,”

_“Next to you?”_

“Yes, in case you forgot, there was only one bed. God that sounds so fucking cliche,”

_“You sound upset,”_

“Well… okay, so when I woke up this morning, we were _cuddling_ ,”

 _“How upsetting and scandalous,”_ you could just imagine Tooru rolling his eyes.

“And when he woke up, he realized what was happening and he pushed away so fast, I didn’t even realize what was happening,”

 _“He’s such an idiot,”_ Tooru grumbled.

“I don’t understand. Everyone says he feels the same and then he does this shit. It doesn’t make sense,”

_“You know, I’m gonna call Tetsu-chan when he wakes up and ask him why he’s being so fucking stupid,”_

“I don’t know, Tooru. I’m just so exhausted. I’ve maxed out on my ability to socialize for the weekend and I just want to go home,”

 _“Weekend’s almost done, we’ll see you soon,”_ Tooru reassured.

“Yeah, I know. I’m gonna hang up, love you,”

 _“Love you, too. Byeeee!”_

You placed your phone on the nightstand sighing deeply, before pulling the blankets over you, pressing further into the bed,

It’s going to be alright.

~~

“This takeout is really good,” Tetsurou groaned, mouth full of food.

“You’re disgusting. Don’t speak with a full mouth,” you chided.

“Okay mom,” Tetsurou rolled his eyes.

“You ready for tomorrow?”

“I should be asking you that,”

“As much as I love Sakura, I mean really, I love her with my whole heart, but I cannot wait to get back home. Social outings are so draining. You’ve got your suit ready?”

“Yup,”

“Good,” you clapped your hands together, standing up from the floor where you had been eating. “I’m gonna go brush, and then sleep. Gotta wake up early tomorrow don’t forget,”

“Mhm, don’t worry,” Tetsurou gathered all the plates and napkins, trashing them in the garbage can. “I’m gonna drive over to Bokuto’s really quick, I left something there yesterday. I’ll back later, g’night Y/N,” Tetsurou explained, heading to the door.

“Okay, text me when you get there,” walking towards the door where Tetsurou was, pecking him on the lips briefly, “Drive safe,” you said, before shutting the door.

You headed to the bathroom, shutting the door behind you. You stared in the mirror for a second before your eyes widened, processing what had just happened.

 _I just kissed Tetsurou_.

~~

Tetsurou was still in the hallway, frozen by your actions.

_Y/N just kissed me._

~~

Fuck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anyway, stan sakura lol
> 
> come find me on twitter @reefsntsumu or tumblr @reefsntsumu


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Y/N-chan!” Tooru greeted.
> 
> “Tooru—I kissed him,” you confessed to Tooru without a warning.
> 
> “You fucking what?! One second,” Tooru sputtered. “Hajime! Come back, Y/N did something stupid again!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this will now have seven chapters oops, but yes i hope you all enjoy this. it is literally 2:30 am and i feel like passing out. so goodnight/morning everyone, and stay safe!

“Come on, come on,” Tetsurou murmured into the phone as he walked hurriedly to his car. 

“Yo,” Koutarou’s voice rang through the line.

“Hey, uh are you and Akaashi home?”

“Yeah? Why?” Koutarou asked confusedly.

“I can’t—,” Tetsurou couldn’t breathe, placing a hand on his car to steady himself.

 _God, is this really what Y/N does to me? It was just a kiss and I’m already panicking_ , Tetsurou thought. His mind was scrambled, trying to figure out what just happened and what it meant and how—

“Tetsurou, what’s going on?” Koutarou sounded concerned.

“I—uh nothing. Nothing, I’m coming over for a few,” Tetsurou reminded before hanging up and sitting in the car.

Tetsurou had gone this long and done so well keeping his feelings hidden, or so he thought, but just a simple kiss, a kiss that was so instinctual and considerably innocent, would probably fuck him over. And the thought itself scared him because what if you regretted it, what if you didn’t mean it, what if he’d lose you?

He couldn’t.

~~~

Tetsurou arrived at Koutarou’s apartment, knocking repeatedly on the door.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Akaashi swung the door open, glaring at Tetsurou, before his eyes softened at a panicked Tetsurou.

“Can I come in?” Tetsurou asked quietly.

“Yeah, yeah of course,” Akaashi moved over to the side letting Tetsurou enter. 

Tetsurou walked in, noticing Koutarou coming out from his bedroom. Koutarou looked at Tetsurou concernedly as the latter threw himself onto the couch. Akaashi made himself comfortable on the loveseat while Koutarou nudged Tetsurou’s legs and plopped himself down on the couch.

“Okay, spill. What’s going?” Koutarou asked.

Tetsurou sighed deeply, running his hand across his face and through his hair. “Y/N and I kissed,”

“You what?!” Akaashi and Koutarou asked simultaneously.

“Don’t make me say it again,” Tetsurou groaned.

“You sound upset,” Akaashi noticed.

“Yeah ‘cause it was like a peck and I don’t even think they noticed. It just sorta happened and then I left,” Tetsurou cringed thinking back.

“That’s certainly—” Akaashi started before Koutarou cut him off.

“That’s stupid. I mean, seriously? You two accidentally kiss and still haven’t gotten your shit together? How much more obvious could you two be? This is incredibly painful. Not for you. For me. I am tired of this. Just please, Tetsurou I’m begging you, please just tell Y/N how you feel,” Koutarou said exasperatedly. 

“Absolutely not,” Tetsurou quickly replied.

“Get out,” Koutarou pointed to the door.

“Bo—”

“You’re a coward,” Koutarou accused.

“I’m no such thing,” Tetsurou sounded offended.

“Then tell Y/N how you feel,”

“I will, I will. After the wedding. Promise,” Tetsurou reassured.

“I’ll hold you to it,” 

~~~

“ _What do you want_?” Iwaizumi answered the phone.

“Fucking Christ— give the phone to Tooru, it’s an emergency,” 

_“It’s about Kuroo, isn’t it?_ ”

“Yes, it is. Now give the fucking phone to Tooru,”

“ _Yeah, yeah give me a second,_ ” You heard Iwaizumi shuffle around and exchange some whispers before Tooru answered the phone.

“ _Y/N-chan!_ ” Tooru greeted.

“Tooru—I kissed him,” you confessed to Tooru without a warning.

“ _You fucking what?! One second,_ ” Tooru sputtered. “ _Hajime! Come back, Y/N did something stupid again!”_

You scoffed at Tooru but waited before he spoke again. “O _kay, I’m ready. What the hell happened?”_

“I don’t— I don’t know. It just _happened_. I didn’t even realize until he left, I was telling him to drive safe and then I _fucking kissed him,_ ” you said tiredly.

“ _That_ — _that sounds like something that what happened to you and you only,_ ”

“And I don’t know what to do when he comes back, I mean do we talk about it? What if he didn’t even want me to kiss him? What if—”

“ _Y/N,_ ” This time it was Iwaizumi’s voice.

“Hajime,” you mimicked.

“ _You need to stop panicking, first off. Next, you don’t need to talk about it with him tonight. Just go to bed before he gets back,”_ Iwaizumi said as if it were the most obvious thing.

“I hate when you’re right,” you mumbled.

“ _Third, just get through the weekend before you lay another one on him,”_

“You know what, fuck you Hajime,”

“ _I’m serious Y/N. The safest thing for you to do is to tell him about your feelings later, not when you’re stuck in a hotel room with him for another night,”_

“I know, I know—”

“ _No!”_ Tooru interjected. “ _Y/N! Tetsu-chan likes you, a lot, it’d be stupid of you to not tell him that you feel the same. Iwa-chan is just a coward_ — _”_

 _“I’m fucking not.”_ Iwaizumi grumbled.

“ _Yes, Iwa-chan, you are. Who confessed first? Me. Who said they were scared to ruin our friendship? You. Anyways, Y/N-chan, you should tell him,”_

“Tooru, I think I’m gonna side with Hajime on this one,” you sighed.

_“Y/N, is he not worth it?”_

“What?”

“ _Is Tetsurou not worth telling your feelings about?_ ” Tooru pressed further.

“Our friendship is not worth ruining,”

“ _My god, Y/N, do you really think that Tetsu-chan would throw away your friendship so easily? There’s a chance you could be happy with him, so why aren’t you taking it_?”

“Because I’m scared, Tooru. I’m so fucking scared that I’m not what he wants, that he’ll realize he could find someone better, and I just— I just can’t put myself through that,” you confessed, blinking away tears.

“ _You should give yourself some more credit, and have a little more faith in Tetsu-chan,”_

“I gotta go, Tooru, I’ll talk to you later. Goodnight,”

“ _Goodnight Y/N-chan. Iwa-chan says goodnight, too. See you soon,”_ Tooru hung up the phone.

You threw yourself onto the bed, tired of having to deal with your feelings. It was so exhausting, having to tackle your emotions and the endless possibilities of confessing. You snuggled deeper into the sheets, just wanting to sleep away the stress. A few minutes passed; you were on the verge of falling asleep when you heard the door open. You held your breath, scared that if you were too loud, Tetsurou would know that you were awake. You heard him shuffling around before he locked himself in the bathroom. You breathed out quietly, shutting your eyes in an attempt to fully fall asleep. Tetsurou came out a few minutes later, climbing into bed next to you. You felt him reach over you, pulling the blanket closer to your chin before he settled on his side of the bed.

“Goodnight, Y/N,” he whispered, and it took you everything to not turn yourself around and kiss him again.

But oh, did you so desperately want to.

~~~

The morning after, you wanted to curl up and not leave the bed, but it didn’t stop Tetsurou from ripping off the sheets from you and dragging you out of bed. It was almost eleven-thirty, and the wedding didn’t start until three, though it did take you and Tetsurou a little while to get ready.

“Come on, Y/N,” Tetsurou tugged on your arm before huffing and placing his hands on his hips. “You’re a literal child, we’ve got to get ready. Your cousin is getting married today in case you forgot,” 

“Five more minutes,” you mumbled into your pillow. 

“You said that five minutes ago,” Tetsurou rolled his eyes.

“Okay, okay I’m getting up,” you groaned, throwing your legs over the bed before standing up and stretching. You ran your hands across your face, trying to wake yourself up a little more before you tiredly dragged your feet to the bathroom to brush your teeth. You shut the door behind you and sighed.

The events of yesterday replayed through your mind and you shut your eyes at how horrible it had been. Waking up cuddling with Tetsurou only for him to leave. Finding out your aunt was an even worse person than before. Accidentally kissing Tetsurou and not talking about it.

You wondered how long you both could go today without bringing up what had happened; you were secretly hoping it would be a long time, you really were not looking forward to having that awkward conversation. But it seemed neither was Tetsurou because even after you had come out of the bathroom, hair and face ready for the wedding, he hadn’t mentioned it. 

You eyed Tetsurou as he got ready, watching him attempt to style his hair in the vanity before he gave up and turned to grab his suit to change. You took that as your cue to change into your outfit, secretly happy that you had a valid excuse to go all out when you got ready. 

When you returned to the common space of the room, you noticed Tetsurou struggling with his tie and you hid your smile behind your hand as you watched him tug on his tie off in frustration. 

“This isn’t funny,” Tetsurou grumbled when he noticed you laughing. You shrugged, walking towards him, and taking his tie in your hands. You wrapped the cloth around his neck, crossing the ends over each other, pulling them through the loops and tightening the tie around Tetsurou’s neck. You fixed his collar, running your hands across his shoulder and down his biceps, stopping abruptly when you realized what you were doing. 

You looked up at Tetsurou, only to see him blushing; you two were so close you could feel his warm breaths on your skin. You gulped, before stepping back from him and forcing a smile.

“Is the tie alright?” you croaked out.

“Uh—yeah, yeah, it’s good, thanks,” Tetsurou stuttered, turning to the mirror behind him. 

You cursed yourself for getting so close to him, for doing something so innocently intimate, as you walked to the door, grabbing your shoes. You slid them on, and stood up straight, pressing your hands down your clothes before looking at Tetsurou.

“You ready to go?” you asked.

“Yeah, let’s go,” Tetsurou said, placing his coat over his arm and opening the door. You walked out of the room, Tetsurou following behind you. 

_God, this is so awkward_ , you thought. So many unspoken words, so much unresolved tension, too many unknowns.

And it was slowly you destroying you from the inside out.

~~~

The wedding itself wasn’t bad. Despite the unfortunate family events that went down the day before, it seemed that everyone had collectively decided to not talk about it until after all the guests had left. And though you had been in a considerably pissy mood, you couldn’t help but admire how beautiful the wedding had looked— how beautiful Sakura had looked.

The wedding’s venue was outside, string lights hung across the posts for when the sun would start to set during the evening and white chairs placed in front of the altar. The weather was perfect, warm temperatures with a cool breeze. The flowers that Sakura and her soon-to-be-husband had picked, peonies and hydrangeas, were woven through the arch that was placed at the front. 

“Pretty isn’t it?” Tetsurou’s voice came up from behind you. You hummed in agreement, still observing the venue before you felt Tetsurou’s hand against yours.

“We’re dating, remember,” Tetsurou reminded as he wove his fingers through yours.

Your throat felt dry at the reminder, a sudden feeling of dread that no matter what happened after the wedding, it would have to come to an end because this was all fake, it was a ruse, a ploy to get your aunt off your back (which still proved to be unsuccessful). That painful understanding was like a knife to your heart, so gut-wrenchingly horrible because as much as confessing to Tetsurou scared you, you wanted to be happy with him. You wanted to go out with him as a real couple, hold his hand because he wants to, kiss him in the morning and the evening without regretting it afterwards.

And simply knowing that there was a slim chance that you could have that happiness with him was eating you up because you believed that there was an even greater possibility that he would reject you. But you remembered Tooru’s words from last night. Would Tetsurou throw away your friendship that easily? You knew he wouldn’t. Because before he was anything else, Tetsurou was a kind man, and he’d want to continue being friends. 

So, would it really be that bad if you told him?

“We should go sit down,” you said quietly, pulling Tetsurou to your seats. The rest of the guests began taking their seats, your cousin’s fiancé taking his place at the front of the altar. Sakura’s parents sat in the row in front of you, your parents joining you and Tetsurou. 

You fidgeted with your hands impatiently, wanting the wedding to go a little faster. You felt a little guilty for not being as enthusiastic about your cousin’s wedding as you should have, but the entire weekend had just been so exhausting you only wanted to go home. Though your anxiousness dissipated when the crowd fell silent and the music started to play quietly. Everyone turned their heads towards the back of the venue, and there stood Sakura who looked stunning. You held your breath as she walked slowly down the aisle; some part of you was glad you had come; this was your cousin’s day, and you were happy to have been a part of it. 

You watched giddily as Sakura and her now-husband exchanged vows, with watery eyes and loving voices. You hoped to have what Sakura had with her significant other, hoped that you’d get to experience waking up every morning to the person you loved most, waking up next to Tetsurou.

Wait.

Loved?

Did you love Tetsurou?

Of all times you could have realized this, it had to be during Sakura’s wedding while you were holding hands with Tetsurou. You groaned internally, realizing it was another thing you had to deal with. To your luck though, the rest of the ceremony flew by considerably quick, and before you knew it, the chairs were being pushed to the side to make room for the dance floor.

Sakura and her husband made their way to the center, smiling and blushing at each other as the lovestruck couple they were before Sakura’s husband took her hand and clumsily spun her around. Neither of them was particularly good at dancing, but it was endearing to watch them have fun with each other. Slowly, other couples began to join them, and you felt a tug at your hand. Tetsurou was looking down at you with a knowing smirk,

“Absolutely not,” you said without hesitation, and Tetsurou immediately pouted.

“Y/N,” he whined. “Just one dance, please,” Tetsurou begged.

You were going to say no, before your mother came up to you and Tetsurou.

“Y/N, honey, you and Tetsu-kun should go dance,” your mother looked at you excitedly, and you didn’t want to say no to her. You looked up at Tetsurou who stared at you smugly. You glared at him before grabbing his hand and pulling him to the dance floor.

You faced Tetsurou, putting your hands around his shoulder as he laid his hands gently on your waist.

“I don’t like dancing,” you mumbled.

“I can tell,” Tetsurou laughed.

“Your laugh is obnoxious,” you rolled your eyes, though you couldn’t help but smile.

“Don’t be so mean, Y/N. Dancing isn’t too hard, you just kinda sway your hips to the song,” Tetsurou demonstrated, swinging his hips, and moving you with him slowly. “Sorta like this,”

You followed his steps, trying to ignore how hot his hands felt against your clothes, his touch burning through the fabric of your outfit.

“There you go!” Tetsurou smiled brightly. “You got it,”

“I still don’t like dancing,” 

“Not even with me?”

“Especially not with you,” you replied sharply.

“Your family’s gonna start thinking that you don’t like your own boyfriend,” Tetsurou pouted for the second time that day.

“Stop pouting,” you chastised. “You look like a child,” _It’s cute_ you also thought, but hell would freeze over before you’d tell Tetsurou that.

~~~

The afterparty went on a little while before the guests started to filter out of the venue and return to their hotels. It had been a long day, fun nonetheless and you couldn’t deny that you had enjoyed yourself. Tetsurou had been dragged somewhere by your mother and you were left alone at a table, fiddling with a napkin before someone slid into the seat next to you. It was Sakura.

“Y/N,” Sakura smiled, and you couldn’t help but to return the gesture.

“Sakura,”

“So, you wanna explain to me what was going on during the dance between you and Tetsu-kun,” Sakura looked at you knowingly.

“There is nothing to explain,” you murmured, looking away from her.

“Oho, I’d beg to differ, what was all that _tension_?” Sakura gasped dramatically.

“There was no _tension_. There’s nothing actually okay?” you tried to convince your cousin, but it sounded more like you were trying to convince yourself.

“Pfft. ‘It’s nothing’ my ass. You like him a lot, Y/N,” _Damn she knew you well,_ you cursed mentally.

“It’s not like that, Sakura. I just— I asked him to do this so that your mom would get off my back. Nothing else,” you said quietly.

“Do you want it to be something else?”

“I—” 

“Y/N! Sakura-chan!” Tetsurou called from behind you both. You stood up, helping your cousin stand up from her seat.

“Where’d my mom steal you off, too?” you asked.

“She wanted to show me some embarrassing photos of you,” Tetsurou laughed.

“Oh! Oh!” Sakura said excitedly. “I have a lot, too. I’ll have to get them later, though. I don’t have my phone on me, but I’ll leave you two, I have to go meet up with my _husband_. Yes! Everyone, I have a husband!” Sakura walked away, yelling to no one in particular.

“So, Y/N,” Tetsurou started, a mischievous smile growing on his face, and you groaned loudly knowing what was coming next, something having to do with the pictures your mom had shown Tetsurou.

“Wanna tell me about the time you ran around your neighborhood after you stole your neighbor’s undergarments?”

“You’re so weird, why can’t you just say ‘underwear’ like a normal person,” you pushed Tetsurou gently to the side, but he just ignored and continued to pester you about the incident.

“Tell me, Y/N, why’d you do it?”

“I was fucking six,” you tried to explain but Tetsurou just cackled wrapping his arm around your waist and pulling you close.

“It’s okay, Y/N. I think your six-year-old self was pretty cool,”

~~~

_It’s not like that._

Those were the words that Tetsurou had heard you speak to Sakura, and god was it like a knife to the heart. Because that was the only confirmation he needed to know that this attraction was one-sided. And he really was going to go through with confessing after the wedding, but now, now he wasn’t too sure.

_It’s not like that._

Of course, it wasn’t because you and Tetsurou were just friends. And Tetsurou needed to accept that. But gosh, it was so hard, because as much as Tetsurou hated to admit it, there was a small piece of him that had desperately been hoping for Bokuto's words to be true, that maybe, just maybe, you’d feel the same way for him.

But it’s not like that.

So Tetsurou will settle with what he can get. And right now, you’re wrapped in one of his arms, smiling as you talked to your parents, and Tetsurou thinks, that if he’s got one more day of you being happy with him, whether it’d be real or not, then whatever comes after couldn’t be too bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i think iwaoi clowning y/n 24/7 is very funny !

**Author's Note:**

> feedback always appreciated!
> 
> check me out on tumblr @reefsntsumu


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